THE HADES WAVE: Days of Future Imperfect 1.0
by Denigoddess2001
Summary: Wren's mental health has been at risk since the graphic flashback of her trial before Oberon. She's sure that she is losing her mind. However ,the true answer lies in her nightmares of Goliath's late wife. The dead detective bears grim tidings of a nebulo


Saga: The Hades Wave   
Story: Dreams of Future Imperfect 1.0   
Fandom: Gargoyles   
Genre: Supernatural/ Drama   
Rating: PG-13. Some strong language and adult situations.   
Characters: Wren, Demetrius, Elisa Maza, Fox Xanatos, Goliath   
10/23/01 2:53:48 AM   
  
[Bracketed words indicate thought or psionic communication.]   
  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GARGOYLES. THEY BELONG TO DISNEY. NO PROFIT WANTED FOR THIS FICTION. NO INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. ALL ORIGINAL CHARACTERS IN THIS FICTION ARE PROPERTY OF DENIGODDESS2OO1.   
  
Late October 2005   
Linoma Bluffs Metroplex, Nebraska   
Summerlands Estate   
  
Demetrius felt relaxed and sated in his comfortable position on the porch string. One muscular slung over the back of the porch swing and his legs leisurely crossed, he seemed an emperor surveying his vast domain. Contentedly, he watched his mate planting flower bulbs along the walkway that led to the front porch of their home. Steepled hands and tapered fingers provided a rest for him as he watchfully observed his betrothed. With disheveled hair and patches of dirt adorning her cheeks, he realized that she felt peace for the first time in many weeks. Her tender devotion to the delicate plants was a manifestation became a meditative exercise. Gardening became her means of distraction from the anarchic pandemonium of their recent lives. He realized that a calm autumn eve such as this was a precious rarity they required quite desperately.   
  
The year had been one of marvels and wonders. So many bright blessings bestowed upon him made the Nightkind Warrior marvel at the sheer magnitude of his good fortune. He found his lifemate, his heart's completion, in a shy bluestocking that touched him in ways that made him roar with resounding joy. Yet, the epic escapades recurrently left him breathless.   
  
She had given him a merry chase and refuted his attempts at courtship. She had brought him along on spectacular adventures leading to other worlds and dimensions. Together they had battled deities and villains and came out victors. Yet, only recently had she truly revealed herself to him. He had once thought her plain and lackluster, yet now she was arresting and complex. He some time ago thought of Wren Summers as shy and timid and now she dazzled him with her intrepid spirit. He had assumed her passionless and aloof. He knew her to be passionate in his arms and welcoming of his devotion.   
  
Yet, their grand adventures had not been without a price. Wren's recent flashback of her experiences with Remy LeBeau and Avalon brought on unexpected ramifications. It began with chronic insomnia followed by agitation and irrational fears of leaving their Summerlands estate. Since that night, when Wren managed to sleep, she dreamt horrid nightmares of apocalyptic times and genocide. At his urging, she sought professional help. Wren's diagnosis was a blow to her fragile esteem: post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic depression. Dr. Christina Hansen-Stephenson prescribed anti-depressant medication to give Wren some peace.   
  
Now, she struggled to find her equilibrium. She toiled daily to restore peace to her troubled mind. She sought her way towards reality. Demetrius thanked the powers that be that he carried the ability to separate himself from their empathic link. He found it himself delving into her psyche and her perceptions melding with his insight. He forcefully pushed away the guilt that danced on the fringes of his heart. They both needed his strength. He heard her hum a quiet tune as she patted the soil gently over the bulbs.   
  
[Had I known what Providence premeditated for me, would I have chosen this path? I know that nothing is without cost. How can I remain constant and forever steadfast as tragedy follows tragedy? I waver in times of trepidation while Wren battles on with her illness and her inner demons. Wren, forgive me?]   
  
Daily Demetrius found himself walking through the orchards and forests of Summerlands pondering these questions. Many nights he pondered the words of Tacitus in his quest for resolution of these obstacles. He ate autumn's fruit and spent various evenings reciting scripture and verse from the Tome Of Tacitus. Skylaris' edicts fortified his heart and provided the inspiration he earnestly needed.   
  
  
A Gargoyle is a creature of courage.   
A Gargoyle's heart embraces boldness   
In the face of adversity.   
  
It may be tempted by fear   
But never shall the Gargoyle heart know   
The taste of cowardice.   
  
When the probability of defeat shadows the battle,   
So is it the Gargoyle way to take up the cause   
And protect that which is right and good.   
  
His essence comprises integrity.   
Her talons protect the innocent.   
A Gargoyle looks for truthfulness.   
  
A Gargoyle's eyes see only faith when engaging others.   
She is a Dame of honor and he is a Sire of virtue.   
The Gargoyle way is succumbing to heart's calling for righteousness.   
  
A Gargoyle's heart embraces the clan   
And yields not to the temptations of self.   
Life becomes corrupt, meaningless, and empty without benevolence.   
  
A Gargoyle despises mercilessness.   
And stands ready as guardian and sentinel   
For those without hope or champions.   
  
His valor defends those who are frail and fragile.   
Her heart loves fiercely and well.   
His essence extends kindness and compassion to all   
  
It matters not to the Gargoyle heart that her charges   
Be without wing or talon and know the light of the sun.   
A Gargoyle Warrior defends all the defenseless.   
  
Her tongue articulates simply verity.   
A Gargoyle's fury quashes cruelty.   
A Gargoyle's roar sends forth the message of justice.   
  
Justice knows no death   
Provided that a Gargoyle's heart   
Never betrays it's nature.   
  
It is our way to protect.   
It is our nature to serve.   
It is our true, best destiny to love Fiercely and well.   
  
The Gargoyle Way is our conscience   
When we are without clan   
And alone in this world.   
  
The Gargoyle Way eternally shines   
When the heart burns brightest with the   
Fire of love and the valor of honor.   
  
That is the Gargoyle Way.   
  
Upon occasion, Wren's various means of dealing with her disorder baffled him. Her methods drove Demetrius to temper. Wren obsessed with work; relaxation was not her forte. She spent long nights at the office and rarely returned home until late in the evening. Wren found respite from her ghosts in work and warfare. She sparred relentlessly with him in the exercise room for hours upon end. He found that aggressive combat channeled her untamed energies and forced her total concentration. The release and respite Wren found in melee brought order to her fractured mind. Yet, she denied Demetrius access to her inner mind and deepest psyche. She withdrew into her mind and often seemed distracted.   
  
Demetrius' contentment progressively became despondency. He brought himself forward as he watched his beloved tend to her planting. [Milady, I beg you to return to me in mind and spirit. Sweet Wren with broken wings, have faith in us and in me. I shan't turn away from troubled times nor desert you when doubt runs rampant. Where you go, I go. Where you lead, I follow. Where you are I shall be. What you are I willingly become.]   
  
Demetrius refused to allow new tears to fall. He turned his attention to the west and saw the last rays of coral and cadmium dip below the horizon. He welcomed the tingling sensation pulsing beneath his skin. He felt the sun's ray die away as wings burst majestically from his back. He knew a powerful tail made its way from him and lashed triumphantly when set free. Tapered fingers became indestructible talons. He was no longer Demetrius Nightkind; human. Standing on the front porch was Demetrius of Clan Caledon; devoted mate of Wren Summers.   
  
His eyes glowed dimly: partially in anger and somewhat in despondency. Demetrius cloaked his wings about him as he rose to his feet. He watched as the first shadows of Twilight brought on the change in his mate. He watched a slender prehensile tail snake from underneath her soiled shirt. He imagined that delicate horns crested her brow. He knew gone were the slender fingers he suckled so readily and that ten tapered talons sunk deeply into the cool dark soil as she planted each bulb.   
  
[Wren will not know peace until this infirmity is removed from her mind? I am at a loss. How can I battle an enemy I cannot see? How can I combat a foe without form or substance? Damnation of the seven hells! Neither talon nor tail can thrash this enemy into defeat.]   
  
"Demetrius. ...Earth to Demetrius." Wren's voice interrupted his introspective musing.   
  
"Milady?" He arched his wing about her and drew her close. "Are ye finished with your planting?"   
  
"All done. Besides, I really can't do much in the dark." She smiled up at him. His empathic link noticed her immense satisfaction with her diligent work. "We're going to have some beautiful irises and tulips next Spring."   
  
"I am certain of it." Demetrius agreed. A growl erupted between them that demanded immediate attention. He gave a knowing look at Wren's abdomen. "Hungry?"   
  
"Famished!" Wren smacked her lips. "I'm thinking ordering pizza sounds wonderful."   
  
"Milady, I think it not wise to distress the delivery person." He playfully snaked his tail around her waist. "Even in a city such as Linoma, I believe that Gargoyles and Mutants are still considered oddities at best and monsters at worst."   
  
"I know." A heavy sigh escaped her. "That's the downside of being something other than human.   
  
"I have a chicken thawing in the refrigerator. Give me but an hour, Milady, and I shall have a wondrous Chicken Pasta Alfredo with steamed vegetable gracing our table and filling our bellies." He touched his brow to hers. "You have yet to disdain my cooking."   
  
"This is true." She murmured appreciatively. "I can whip up a salad and find some wine from the rack. I'm thinking a white zinfandel."   
  
"Plying me with wine shall make me your most humble servant." The purr is his voice let her know that he wanted to play. "Dinner and delight sound quite wonderful this night."   
  
"I couldn't agree with you more." Wren wrapped her arms around the strong column of the warrior's neck. She nuzzled him affectionately with a soft kiss to a particular pulse point. His playful purr deepened into a low growl. "Then maybe a night flight if it's not too chilly?"   
  
"If I love you fiercely and well, Milady, we'll have neither the strength nor vigor for such merriment."   
  
"Promises, promises." She teased.   
  
[Tonight, I vow that I shall have you entreating me to love you and wed before the year's end.] Demetrius decided with focused Gargoyle tenacity.   
  
He longed to know the human custom of marriage. Instinct screamed their union brought with it serenity to her distressed heart and anguished mind. He longed to give her that certainty of love and devotion. He wanted his signature on paper for her to know that he belonged to her body and soul. He ached for a simple band of gold to bond him eternally to the quiet woman in his arms. He yearned to give himself completely to this woman in true union. He pleasured her with his body. He worshipped her with his heart. He sought to give her the one gift the she refused to accept: his name.   
  
  
  
  
  
Demetrius cleared the last of the dishes from the table and brought them to the sink. Wren rinsed each dish and carefully placed each neatly in the dishwasher. [How do I broach the question that she reflect on alternatives to combat her inner demons?]   
  
"Demetrius, what's on your mind?" Wren turned off the water and wiped her hands on the dishtowel. Her brow creased in worry. "You've been unusually quiet all night."   
  
"Nothing, Milady." He quickly reassured her. "I knew not that I seemed pensive."   
  
"Pensive?" She scoffed. "Try brooding and contemplative. That is typical Gargoyle behavior. You're cheerful and spontaneous. So, why have you suddenly gone 'Goliath" on me?   
  
"Goliath?" He repeated not understanding her reference.   
  
"You know, Goliath. Deep, pensive, brooding Gargoyle." She poked him lightly in the chest. "Definitely, that's NOT you. So, 'fess up, Demetrius. What is going on that's making you so....aloof?"   
  
Demetrius knew that he could deny his Songbird nothing. Soulful eyes met her hazel gaze. His wings and tail seemed to droop somewhat when she asked her question. "Milady, for days I have watched you endure the anguish of heartrending reminiscences. I wish you only peace and resolution. Yet, I am powerless to aid you in your crusade against these phantoms that haunt your mind. The healer, Christina Stephenson gives you potions and remedies to bring you sleep and still your thoughts. That does not bring true healing. It only conceals the quandary besieging you."   
  
"Those potions and remedies let me sleep and calm me down." Her defensive reaction was not unexpected. "For the first time in six months, my mind isn't a dark scary place that I'd rather not be."   
  
"Milady, what of other means to quell these furies inside your mind?" Demetrius persisted.   
  
"Other means?" Wren broke free of his embrace and stepped away from him. With hands on hips she confronted him. "My mental health isn't the best right now. Some days, I think I'm half-insane and other days are infuriatingly lucid. I can't live with those extremes, Demetrius. I need normalcy in my life. And those pills and prescriptions give me what I need."   
  
"What of Avalon?" Demetrius refused to let go of the topic. "Perchance Puck or Oberon might restore balance to you?"   
  
"Their understanding of the human heart and mind is limited. Magick isn't going to make this all go away."   
  
"What of the one called Professor Xavier?"   
  
"Xavier?" Wren froze. Her eyes blazed in silent warning for Demetrius to retreat from the harsh questioning.   
  
"Aye, Milady; Xavier." The warrior refused to relent. "Might he have the means with his mental talents to bring you the repose and closure you need?"   
  
Wren folded her arms as if to ward off the autumn chill or her lover's inquiry. She turned from him. Her voice was soft and quiet. "I've thought about that, actually?"   
  
Demetrius stepped behind his ladylove and wrapped wings and arms around her slender form. He rested his head upon her right shoulder and murmured gently into her ear. "He is a man of great wisdom and compassion. Goliath speaks highly of this scholar. He finds him of impeccable integrity. I beseech you, Milady! Contemplate returning to the Xavier Institute and seek his aid."   
  
"Demetrius, I know that you're worried." Her small palm cupped his ebony cheek. "Would it truly make you feel better if I actually returned there? Do you really think that Professor Xavier could help me?"   
  
"All things are possible." Demetrius's resonating baritone carried the first notes of optimism she had heard since the beginning of the debate. "Would we be for worse if attempted such a course?"   
  
"I'll consider it." She promised. "If I go back to the Xavier Institute, I'll do it on one condition."   
  
"Name it."   
  
"Come with me."   
  
"You have my word. I shall not leave your side until I draw my last breath."   
  
"Not on my watch you won't." She whispered.   
  
**************   
The cool autumn air chilled their bedchamber. Sleep eluded Wren Summers even with the aid of tranquilizers. Relentlessly she tossed and turned in the king-sized bed. The sheets felt rough and coarse against her skin. Cool autumn air seemed a frigid chill as it passed over her body. Demetrius' normally protective embrace became an imprisoning hold that restricted her movement. Torrid thoughts of regret and doubt flashed through her mind. Her heart's rhythm surged wildly in her chest. Sleep again eluded her.   
  
She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus solely on breathing techniques. With each breath she forced the chaotic thoughts from her mind. Wren concentrated on the slowing of her pulse and the calming of her anxiety. She visualized the sweet heather-covered moors and tors of Caledon. She envisioned ebony and plum wings surrounding her with their gentle warmth. She imagined bright lavender eyes gazing at her.   
  
Wren brought herself from her reverie and noticed the stillness in the air. With help from Dr. Hansen, she mastered the rudiments of lucid dreaming. Wren awed at this newfound technique to bring on rest. Wren mutely took in the scene around her. It stunned her how her senses came alive while in this altered state of mind. She drank in each sense and sensation with childlike wonder.   
  
Wren found herself standing on a deserted street somewhere in Linoma Bluffs. A thick, heavy haze blanketed the area in a veil that made vision impossible. She smelled the scent of rain and dead leaves in the air. What troubled her most was the eerie silence that met her ears. She saw no cars and no people. A cool, wet breeze chilled her skin. This place reeked of desertion and abandonment. She knew she was alone in this dark, surrealistic realm.   
  
Wren immediately recognized the urban scene. Many nights she visited this same desolate street in her dreams. It was always the same: the thick, dense fog and the smell of rain. She knew no one was around and that she was utterly alone. Panic grew within her as she realized that there was no escape from the dream until morning. [Think, Wren, damn it! This is just a dream. It's only a dream. Nothing happens here. Dr. Stephenson said that it's just my fears of being alone manifesting in subconscious.]   
  
"Everything isn't what it seems, Wren." A voice spoke behind her.   
  
Wren screamed and turned to face the stranger behind her. She saw a silhouette shrouded by the fog. "Step into the light so that I can see you."   
  
"You don't want to see me." The form called through the mist.   
  
"I don't think so." Wren riposted. "This is MY dream. I call the shots."   
  
"Do you?"   
  
"Yeah, I do." Wren walked forward towards the figure. "You haven't been in my dreams before now. Who the hell are you?"   
  
"Certainly not from hell." The voice sounded amused. It was low and melodious. The voice was undeniably feminine. "Just think of me as your spirit guide."   
  
"Spirit guide?" Wren scoffed. "You sound familiar. Who are you?"   
  
"Are you sure you want to know?"   
  
"I have more courage in my dreams than I do in real life." Wren took another step forward. The figure seemed to move backwards as she moved.   
  
"Not true." The voice called to her.   
  
"Who in the hell are you?!"   
  
The shape deftly floated through the mist toward her. The fog parted to reveal a woman of bronzed complexion and dark almond eyes. Dressed in jeans, black tee shirt and a red leather bomber jacket, the woman appeared not to be a threat. "You don't look like a monster from a nightmare."   
  
"Trust me, I'm not." The woman laughed. "But, I've been sent to help you, Wren."   
  
"Okay, I'll bite. If you're my spirit guide, then where are the trumpets and the fireworks? Where are the hoopla and the fanfare?"   
  
"If you want hoopla and fanfare, go to Las Vegas. I'm an apparition with a mission."   
  
"And really dry humor." Wren raised a sardonic brow at the sarcasm and bad poetry.   
  
"That too." The wraith agreed. "Now, listen up, Wren. Things are getting nasty in the world and the Hades Wave is about to hit."   
  
"The Hades Wave?" Wren studied the woman before her. "Look, before we go any farther, what do I call you?"   
  
"Elisa." The reply seemed friendly.   
  
[Elisa....Elisa....] The name brought with it an uncanny sense of familiarity. [Elisa...where have I heard that name? ]   
  
The face seemed memorable. Wren knew that she recognized this woman standing before her in the mist. "Do you have a last name?"   
  
"Maza."   
  
Wren stumbled backward as if hit by a thundering blow. [Goliath's last name is Maza. He was married to a human named-]   
  
"Elisa Maza." She spoke aloud. "You're Goliath's wife."   
  
"Was." Elisa said with regret.   
  
"Saints preserve me." She whispered and instinctively made the sign of the cross in front of her bosom. "Aren't you ...dead?"   
  
"I have been for quite a while." Elisa smiled at the absurdly obvious.   
  
[This is a dream. This could be someone like Puck playing with my mind or the some telepath thinking that I'm easy picking.] "Okay, if you're Elisa Maza, prove it."   
  
"You want me to prove my identity?" The apparition appeared confused by Wren's request.   
  
"Yes. Prove it. Prove to me that you are truly Elisa Maza." Wren challenged the wraith.   
  
"Okay." The shade conceded. "I was a Detective 2nd class at the 23rd precinct for the NYPD."   
  
"Common knowledge. Try again."   
  
"I married Goliath on Samhein 2000."   
  
"Again, common knowledge." Wren huffed. "Give me something only Elisa and Goliath would know."   
  
"Shortly after Goliath and I met, Xanatos' goons were chasing us through Central Park. He was hit with a tranquilizer dart that had enough serum to bring down an elephant. He couldn't make it back to the castle and we turned to stone under some pretty thick foliage. I stayed the entire day with him."   
  
"That's one thing.... Give me something else." Wren remained skeptical of the spirit's snippet of proof.   
  
"When Goliath and I first me, he saved me from becoming street pizza." Elisa remembered. "Formal introductions were made on the narrow ledge of a skyscraper."   
  
"Not good enough. I want something personal." Wren persisted.   
  
"Our mating flight almost became a disaster." Elisa chuckled.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Goliath was so hot and bother that we crashed into a tree on the Xanatos estate. His pride never let him tell a soul. How's that for personal?"   
  
"That's- uh, well..." Wren nervously cleared her throat as she remembered her own fear of heights. "er, good. That works for what I need."   
  
"Now, that we have that out of the way, let's get down to business." Elisa's for   
  
"I don't believe in Spirit Guides, crystals, beyond death experiences or any of that other New Age mumbo jumbo." Wren's declaration cut through the night air. "Why me? Why not appear to your late husband?"   
  
"Trust me, my being here is nothing like that." Elisa answered. "Listen to me, Wren. I can't get through to anyone in the clan. Goliath's blocked off his mind and Adrienne's mind is resistant to my calls. You were the only one that's receptive to me on the unconscious level."   
  
"Great, I really am going insane." Wren cried in pure frustration.   
  
"No, you're not!" Elisa stepped forward. "I've been trying for almost two weeks to get you to listen to me."   
  
"Is that what's causing my headaches, my nausea and my nightmares?"   
  
"Bingo!" Elisa nodded. "You haven't been much more receptive than your warrior friend. He has a way of blocking me from your dreams."   
  
"Demetrius is very protective."   
  
"I've noticed. Gargoyles usually are."   
  
"Okay, I'm not going crazy then?" Wren craved confirmation of that simple query.   
  
"No, you're not going crazy." Elisa laid a hand on your shoulder. "You have problems, Wren. But, the symptoms you've been having have nothing to do with your disorder."   
  
"Thank God." Wren remembered to breathe. She looked at the shorter woman. "You've got my attention. What is going on? Why have you been trying to reach me?"   
  
"I don't know everything and I don't understand it all. I do know it has to do with Gargoyles and Mutants. You've made some powerful enemies and they want you out of the way."   
  
"Tell me something I don't already know." Wren shrugged nonchalantly. "No disrespect, Elisa, but that isn't anything unusual."   
  
"No, but I know that the Hades Wave is going to bring more death and destruction to innocent lives that you can imagine." Elisa spoke harshly.   
  
"What is the Hades Wave?'   
  
"I'm not exactly sure. I haven't been told all of the details." Elisa admitted. "Things get hazy and I lose a lot of the information between purgatory and the dreamscape.   
  
"You've been sent here to tell me horrid things are going to happen but you don't remember what you're supposed to tell me?" Wren felt her confoundment become anger.   
  
"Hey! I'm in-between life and death. My body doesn't exist but it wasn't my time to die. The info gets lost in transit. I know I'm supposed to deliver the info from the Great Beyond. So, I guess that makes me the local Oracle."   
  
"An Oracle?"   
  
"I don't remember." Elisa threw up her arms in frustration. "I know that I'm supposed to guide you through this and I know what to tell you as the time comes. I know that you've been denying some of your abilities and that's causing you a lot of trouble."   
  
"I know what I can do."   
  
'And what you refuse to do." Elisa confronted Wren. She pointed to the West. "Watch and see what I see."   
  
Wren watched the mist part and reveal a dark, starless sky. A blazing streak of light made a path across the sky. Elisa silently took Wren's hand and led her through the fog. They found themselves walking through mud and leaving the pavement behind them. Wren saw that she stood on the bank of a very large river.   
  
"Where are we?" Wren turned to Elisa. "No river runs like this in Nebraska."   
  
"I'm not sure, but watch. You need to see this. That's all I know." Elisa turned her attention in the direction of the blazing mass falling from the sky. Wren nodded in understanding and watched the blazing sphere plunge into the murky waters of the unnamed river. She saw debris falling from the sky like rain. A rather large piece landed only a few yards from her. Wren glanced the side to further study the piece. What met her eyes brought shock to her system.   
  
The piece of debris was metal. Wren knelt beside it for further study. She noticed black letters that were partially covered by the char caused from the burning descent. Wren took the edge of her jacket and wrapped it around the edge of the metal. She rushed to the river and dunked the large metal scrap into the cooling waters of the river. She heard the hissing sound of cold water chilling searing metal. She pulled it out and used her coat sleeve to wipe away the last residuals of the black char.   
  
[V-E-N-T-U-R-E]   
  
"Venture?" She asked aloud. "What does that mean?"   
  
She noticed another piece of metal floating along the bank of the river where she stood. She discarded the first piece and bent over to quickly retrieve the second from the strong current the second piece was about the size of a briefcase and bore an emblem and letters. Wren felt somewhat queasy when she recognized the emblem to be the American Flag. Wren felt abject horror as she spotted the black letters underneath it.   
  
"NASA."   
  
She returned her gaze to the murky waters of the river. She spotted broken vials and large canisters floating along with the current. The black cloudiness of the water seemed to shimmer oddly in the moonlight that broke through the haze. The darkness gave way to a strange mustard color. Things began bobbing to the surface. Shoes... tires... fish... so many fish.... Deformed and misshapen. Deformed and seemingly burned.   
  
"What in the world?" Wren remarked as the stench of decay reached her nostrils. This was truly a nightmare because the images reminded Wren of one too many late night horror and apocalypse flicks. [Dead fish aroma in dreams is NOT a good thing.]   
  
"Whatever you do, don't drink the water." Elisa told her. "Don't eat the food."   
  
"I don't understand."   
  
***************   
  
BEEP BEEP BEEP. The annoying sounds of Wren's alarm clock abruptly woke her from her sound sleep. She groggily turned toward the window and found the sun shining brightly. She focused her blurry vision on the red digits flashing from her alarm clock. 7:30. [What a night.]   
  
"What a weird dream." She turned to see that Demetrius had already risen to greet the day. The delicious scent of fresh blueberry muffins filled Wren's senses.   
  
[Demetrius is more worried about me than he'll admit. I don't want him thinking that I've went off the deep end.] Wren walked to the bedroom door and locked it. She took the cordless phone from beside her bed and made her way to the master bath. On the way, she turned on her clock radio to a loud rock station. Once in the bath, she shut the door and turned on the shower. [Gargoyles have sensitive hearing and this is one thing he doesn't need to know.]   
  
She dialed the area code and number for Xanatos' private residence in New York City. Wren knew that the Wyvern clan recently returned to New York. With each ring she prayed to the Powers-That-Be that she truly wasn't losing her mind.   
  
"Hello?" A husky feminine voice greeted her from the other end of the line.   
  
"Mrs. Xanatos?" Wren felt beads of sweat form on her brow.   
  
"Yes..." was the cautious reply.   
  
"Mrs. Xanatos, this is Wren Summers. I'm Mr. Xanatos' department head for research and Development for Xanacorp in Linoma Bluffs."   
  
"Oh, yes!" Fox Xanatos replied pleasantly. Wren hated phone conversations with a passion and was relieved that she needn't give further explanation. "You're Owen's friend, aren't you?"   
  
"Yes." [Friend is a very understated way of describing our relationship.] "I'm sorry to be calling so early in the morning. I was wondering if the sun had risen yet in New York?"   
  
"No, not yet. Sunrise is about twenty minutes away." Fox assured her.   
  
"Mrs. Xanatos, I need to speak with Goliath on a matter of the utmost importance." Wren bit her lip in frustration as that damned quaver entered her voice. "I was wondering if he might be available."   
  
"Let me check. Can you hold?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
Seconds became minutes. Wren watched the minutes ebb away on the clock. [According to Fox's earlier estimate, the sun will be up in ten minutes there. Damn it! Hurry up!]   
  
She nervously eyed the clock as away ticked the seconds. Wren felt her breathing become shallow and her anxiety evident as she felt her skin flush heatedly. [Come on, Goliath! Answer the phone!]   
  
"Yes?" A deep voice drawled across the wire that she recognized well.   
  
"Oh, good! I caught you, Goliath." She sighed.   
  
"Wren, Fox said that you wished to speak with me regarding an urgent matter."   
  
"You better believe it."   
  
"Is all well with you and Demetrius?"   
  
"For the most part, we're fine." Wren eased the clan leader's worries. "I had a strange dream last night about Elisa Maza. I don't think it was merely a dream. I think she directly spoke to me."   
  
"I see." The pause on the end of the line was shattering. "How can you be certain of this?"   
  
"I thought I might just be dreaming. Yet, when I asked for proof she gave it to me...but, I need to share it with you to make sure that I'm not wrong."   
  
"Proceed please, Wren."   
  
"When you and Elisa first met, did you save her from falling off a skyscraper?"   
  
"Indeed. It was the castle wall crumbling from atop the Eyrie building." The catch in Goliath's voice caught Wren's attention.   
  
"Was your first formal introduction made on a ledge of a skyscraper."   
  
"It was." Goliath confirmed. "I do not understand how this could be considered proof that your dream was more than a dream."   
  
"Let me throw this one at you, Goliath." Wren gathered her composure. "She said during your mating flight with her that you were so hot and bothered that you crashed into a tree. She said that only you and she knew about that. Is that true?"   
  
She heard a clatter on the other end of the line. She was certain that Goliath had dropped the phone. She heard a crash of something against stone and wondered if he had stumbled against furniture ...or thrown it. "Goliath? Goliath!! Are you there."   
  
"Aye, I am here." Came the grave reply. "What you speak of is true. Only she and I knew of that mishap. It was Elisa that appeared to you in your dream."   
  
"She warned me that some bad things are awaiting in the near future. She mentioned something called the Hades Wave and she showed me, I guess, a vision of things to come. Goliath, now that I know it was her, she has my attention."   
  
"Explain this to Xanatos immediately. We will speak of this matter this-" His voice unexpectedly became silent.   
  
"Goliath? Are you there?" Wren glanced at the wall clock. It read 8:40. That meant it was 6:40 and sunrise hit the East coast. A bit of mirth crossed her mind when she imagined Goliath being the world's largest phone cradle. She knew she need only wait until twilight descended before she shared the rest of the information with the clan.   
  
She hurriedly dialed Owen's office and left a message for him to call her at his earliest convenience.   
  
There was an urgent rapping at the bedroom door. [Oh, joy. I forgot about Demetrius.]   
  
She turned off the water and entered the master suite. The rapping incessantly grew louder with each knock. Wren unlocked the door. "Wait a minute, Demetrius."   
  
"Wren, why did you have the door locked?"   
  
"Sit down, Handsome. I need to explain some things." Wren made her way to the bed and sat. She patted the place beside her. She leaned forward and retrieved the locked wooden box from under the bed. With the turn of the latch on the box, the lid sprang open. She grasped the magickal metal of the Annulus. She felt the warm, familiar bond take over her senses. She loved the feel of the cool, engraved weapon in her hand.   
  
"Wren..." Demetrius asked warily. "You have the Annulus in hand...what is afoot?"   
  
"I'm not quite sure...but here is what's happened so far..." Wren spent a better part of the morning enlightening her warrior mate.   
  
TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
